The Worst of Both WorldsPart 17 of the series
by Justright
Summary: What would have happened if Phoebe had been the one to change?
1. Default Chapter

**Disclaimer: **All the characters from Charmed belong to the Charmed Productions and Spelling. I only lay claim on the character(s) that I created myself… 

**The Worse of Both Worlds  
Chapter I**

Phoebe was lying down and just dreamily admiring the ring Cole put on her fingers only a few hours ago. She couldn't help wondering at how great things were and how lucky they were that things turned out for the best between them.  
"Hey what are you thinking about?" Cole asked softly.

Phoebe, pulled out of her reveries, turned to him with a smile.  
"Oh, just how lucky we are..."

"I'm the lucky one," Cole said, pulling her toward him.

"There's something I've been wondering about though… Why did you think I was more vulnerable than my sisters at first?"

Cole grimaced, not really enthusiastic about the subject.  
"You don't really wanna talk about that, do you?"

"Yes I really do…"

Cole sighed.  
"If you really, really have to know…"

"Hey, you're intriguing me now."

"Those people were not we; there's no point in rehashing this…"

"What? Come on; tell me."

Cole gave her a slightly annoyed glance before answering.  
"You know you're very curious."

"Admit it, you love it about me."

"Now I'm not so sure," Cole teased.

"Come on, stop fussing and tell me."

"You won't like it…" Cole added more seriously.

"I'm a horror movie fan, remember?"

"Alright, but you asked for it…"

'He had been watching her for quite a while, the plan forming in his mind slowly, but intensely. He was wondering to himself why he chose such an approach. Was it really that he thought it to be a full proof plan, or was there something more to the direction he was taking? "No matter," Cole told himself again, "why shouldn't I enjoy the work?"

He had to admit that she was breathtaking. Evil had never produced such beauty, and then he pondered, "will she keep that freshness when I'm done with her? If not," he answered himself, "I'll have had some fun along the way." That was really all that mattered here too, wasn't it?

Today was the day he chose to put his plan into action. And even though what he had to do was clear to him, he couldn't help the excitement of just going to her. Cole berated himself. "Keep your eyes on the prize. Don't ever forget that."

At first, Phoebe remembered, she had taken this job to prepare and save some money for school, or so she told herself. However, as it often happens, the days and the months had gone by, and now the thought of going back to school was coming less and less. The money wasn't all that good, but she could live on it modestly. She had come to New York to find her father… at least that was the excuse she gave herself and her sisters… but in reality, she just couldn't stand their disapproval anymore. Prue in particular, with all her reproaches and her distrust had pushed her right out of the family house. Still, after all these months, she was starting to miss them. That thought always surprised her considering the reason why she was here in the first place. Piper called her the other day, and maybe that was the reason for her sudden longing. Phoebe reflected that Prue had broken up with that filthy liar of hers, the one who caused such a rift between them. And although in the back of her mind she still knew that it had only been part of the problem, she now was fantasizing that everything would be alright between them. Lost in thoughts, Phoebe almost bumped into a tall man, who had just entered the office.  
"Oh I'm sorry," she said without looking up.

"Don't be; I'm the clumsy one."

The soft and yet virile voice caught her attention. He was smiling at her and his beautiful blue eyes locked with hers for an instant. Phoebe felt electric sensations coursing through her. She babbled, "No really… I wasn't looking where I was going. Really…"

His smile widened and she felt her legs turn to cotton. So much so that she retreated rapidly behind her counter, afraid that he would see the effect he had on her. The man seemed to hesitate, then he came toward her and she smiled inwardly, at the same time trying to give him her most professional look.  
"Miss?

"Did you need something?"

"Well actually I have an appointment with one of the lawyers of your firm."

Phoebe chuckled.  
"It's hardly my firm," she said in a flirtatious voice.

He shifted his weight once or twice and made a cute little face at her and she knew that the appointment was the farthest thing from his mind at the moment. Phoebe took advantage and continued in the same fashion, cocking her head the way she knew she looked her most innocent and adorable.  
"So," she added after a beat, "whom exactly did you come to see?"

He laughed nervously, as if just remembering why he was there.  
"Oh yes, I came to see Mr. Langford."

Phoebe was impressed. Mr. Langford was the very respected owner of the firm, and only big clients had any kind of meetings with him.  
"Let me make a call," she said in a somewhat more respectful tone of voice.

However, he put his hand on hers, stopping her.  
"Actually, I'll surprise him. He and I are really good friends, you see…"

Phoebe wasn't so sure about this, since her supervisor was very precise in her instructions. Never let anybody inside unannounced. Nevertheless, the smile he gave her again made her think that he really could not be one to cause any trouble, and she put the phone down. Albeit slowly…

Her hand still burned where he had touched it, and when he turned toward the elevator, she put it to her cheek dreamily. She saw him turn back to her just in time, or so she hoped, as he walked back to her, this time purposefully.  
"You know what? I didn't even get your name…"

Phoebe was astonished that an important man like him would even care, and it took her a second before she found her voice to reply.  
"Phoebe," she said, "Phoebe Halliwell," she added a bit nervously.

He saw her hesitation and gazed at her indulgently. She felt stupid all of a sudden but he caught himself quickly and said.  
"I'm Cole Turner. And I know it will sound a little forward but I'd really like to see you again…"

Phoebe felt her heart jump and tried her best not to show how excited she was.  
"Really," she said with her best poker face. That wasn't much of one, she knew. She had never been a very good liar. 

Cole smiled anew and she sensed that he had not been fooled even for a moment by her attempt at dissimulation.  
"So? Is it ok if I ask you for a drink? After work, of course…"

Phoebe swallowed hard, and then she answered.  
"Yes of course, that would be lovely."

Cole nodded in her direction and then promised to pick her up after work. Then, he walked resolutely toward the elevator without looking back.

Phoebe stood there until she was certain that he was not coming back, and then she threw herself in the chair, breathing deeply.  
"Oh my god," she told herself "what's the matter with me?"

Although Phoebe had always been free spirited, she usually went out with men that she had known through friends of hers, but a perfect stranger, now that was a first.

Still, she mused, he was an important man; obviously sophisticated. Something didn't exactly fit here. Usually a man like that wouldn't even have given her a second look. Yet he had, and she was really flattered. Therefore, Phoebe put all the doubts out of her mind and began fantasizing about the evening instead.

Inside the elevator, Cole marveled at how easy it had been. The girl had taken to him from the start… this he had felt right away. Only a little part of him was wondering at his own reaction to her, but he set it aside resolutely.

Cole also congratulated himself on his subterfuge. He knew that she would never call to verify if he had showed up for the appointment. Not if it meant telling them that she allowed him to go up on his own. Still smiling contentedly, Cole shimmered out long before the elevator reached the top floor…

Phoebe kept busy to avoid thinking too much about him for the last hour, so that when he came back down from his meeting, she was startled. Again she told herself, how could such a man pay attention to me? She was somehow unaware of her own beauty, no matter what other men had told her. Phoebe always thought of herself as some kind of a tomboy. Cole came to her and made sure that she hadn't changed her mind about their date. She had not, and he went away after gracing her with his most charming smile. 

The rest of the afternoon, Phoebe spent trying to figure out if she should be excited or afraid at the prospect of her date. However, even the little fear that she felt added to the thrill of going out with him. When he came back that afternoon, she was waiting for him already, barely masking her impatience even though he had arrived right on time.

Cole seemed very pleased at her obvious enthusiasm, and he told her how happy he was that she had accepted his invitation. It was not so much what he said, but rather the intensity of his gaze when he kissed her hand gallantly, that told her how truly interested he was. She blushed at the sensation it awoke in her.

That night Cole was a perfect gentleman, and after a few hours where he had her talking about herself almost non-stop, Phoebe felt like a princess in his presence. It had been so magical that after he left her at her door that night, she barely realized that he had not told her anything about himself. However, he had not lost time asking her for another date. For the next month, they saw each other two or three times a week. On all those occasions, she felt that he wanted more from her, but he never pushed her. The only thing that bothered her was the fact that after all this time, she knew next to nothing about him, and on their latest date she decided that it was time.

They were just at the end of a wonderful French meal that dazzled her. Phoebe had almost forgotten her resolutions but eventually she brought up the subject.  
"Cole?"

He turned to her, smiling softly.  
"Yes?"

"I was just wondering…" She stopped, unsure of how to ask him.

"What is it?"

"Well I've been telling you so much about myself in the last month, but I know next to nothing about you."

Cole grimaced a little and she was suddenly afraid that she might have offended him in some way. "I don't want you to take it the wrong way…I really enjoy our time together. As a matter of fact, I can't remember a time where I enjoyed myself so much."

Cole seemed to think about it, not looking directly at her, and her unease deepened. But then he looked back and smiled anew.  
"You're right; I haven't been too forthcoming I know. It's just that I don't like to talk about myself. To be honest, there isn't that much to say."

"It's just well…I don't even know what you really do. I mean you told me you were an attorney, but that's about it."

"Well there you go," Cole answered mocking himself somewhat, "attorneys don't have lives. We're the boring kind."

Phoebe immediately protested.  
"You could never be boring…"

Cole's smile widened but he said nothing for a long moment.  
"Well," he began at last, "as I said, there isn't much to tell. My family, I lost a long time ago. I worked my way through college and received an inheritance afterward, which allowed me to basically choose where I was gonna make a career, and I've been working hard at it ever since." 

Phoebe waited for more but when she understood he wouldn't say more, she asked, "Do you… Well… were you ever?"

"Married, you mean?"

Phoebe answered yes in a little voice, slightly embarrassed at her own boldness. However, Cole didn't seem annoyed and replied casually, "No, actually I never really had time to think about it…" Then he added, "Until now."

Phoebe felt the warmth of his stare go through her. She could barely utter, "Really?"

"Really," Cole replied warmly. "I've got to tell you that I've also enjoyed myself tremendously these last few weeks… and I'd really like our relationship to become more serious."

"I feel the same way," Phoebe replied with a relieved smile.

Cole bent toward her almost timidly, searching for her lips, and at first, she thought that he would only brush them. She couldn't help herself from wanting more. She moved imperceptibly closer and for an instant, it looked to her like as if he hesitated, and then when he kissed her again, this time she had no more doubts about his desire for her. That night, when he brought her home, he lingered at her door. She expected him to come in, but he seemed uncertain, almost afraid to go further and he just kissed her good night, leaving her panting and wanting so much that she barely slept that night. 

All the way back to the apartment he had rented the last few months for just this assignment, Cole was questioning his motivations. He had her, he knew it and yet he turned back, afraid. "What was I afraid of?" However the answer to this question was too dangerous and he knew it. He was almost home when he decided that a little refreshing of his instincts was in order. And he knew of just the way to do this…

The next morning, Phoebe woke up with a slight headache that she knew was caused by the mostly sleepless night. Even now, she couldn't understand why Cole left. She couldn't believe that she had read the signals so wrong. She could feel how much he wanted her through his kisses and the way he had touched her. The more she thought about last night, the more puzzled she became about his attitude, and at some point, with the headache worsening, she decided to stop thinking about it and turned on her TV set.

The news didn't make her feel any better. The anchorman was describing the most gruesome of murder. A woman had been found that morning in her apartment. She was stabbed repeatedly with what the man described as incredible rage. The police didn't find any indication on the person who had perpetrated this horrible act. There had been no sign of forced entry or any prints left at the scene. The anchorman continued by saying that this crime was the last one in a series of 5 similar murders who occurred in the last two months.

Phoebe turned off the set, disgusted and a little scared. At work that day, she got distracted more than once, even attracting the attention of her supervisor, who told her at some point to get her act together or else.

Phoebe knew right then that she would have to clear things up with Cole. This uncertainty was eating up at her. She was becoming aware that her feelings for him ran much deeper than she even expected and she couldn't stand the idea of losing him.

That night, when he called, she immediately asked him to come to her apartment instead of going out. When Cole arrived, she felt something different about him and asked him if he had changed his mind about their relationship.

"I haven't. I'm sorry about last night. I was afraid that you'd be offended. I want us to be together, but not just for one night."

Phoebe came to him and looked up with a sweet smile.  
"That's what I want too."

Again he kissed her lightly at first, teasing, she thought, and then she pushed herself to him and he reacted almost violently. She'd never felt such passion, never felt so wanted by anyone and she gave herself to him completely.

All that night, they explored each other hungrily, every wave of pleasure only followed by a renewed desire. Afterward, she could only describe that night as magical and unforgettable. In the morning, she woke up after a short sleep to see him looking at her with a puzzled expression, even as he smiled at her.

"What is it?" Phoebe asked, somewhat anxiously.

Cole pushed away a lock of her hair and kissed her again before answering.  
"I don't know about you but for me it was the most wonderful night of my life. I didn't know one could be so completely happy."

She smiled, caressing his chest lovingly.  
"I feel the same."

"Promise me you'll never leave me."

"I never will. I love you."

No matter how much effort he made to deny it, Cole knew even in his demon heart that he had to have her forever. But his heart wasn't human. The human half of him was his weakness and what he wanted was for her to be with him the way he had lived all his life.

From that day on, he applied himself to show Phoebe his way. At first, he just hinted at little things that she found naughty at best and tolerated. Then, as the weeks and months went by, she felt a change in herself, a hardening in her heart that she didn't think could ever be, not even when as a young adult, she had rebelled against her grand-mother and her sisters. The only constant in all of this was her need for him that never diminished. Phoebe needed Cole so much that at one point she found that he could do no wrong that would make her turn away from him. And in spite of himself, as he was teaching her evil, he felt the same about her. When he thought that she was finally ready to hear the truth about him, he commenced the conversation cautiously.  
"Phoebe, do you know that you're very special?"

She smiled gently, thinking that he meant in general, but then he insisted.  
"You have something that most people would envy and you don't even know about it."

Phoebe was puzzled.  
"You mean besides you," she still said with a gleeful expression.

Cole smiled slyly, and then continued.  
"Yes, besides that. It's something your family hid from you. They stole it from you when you were a child."

Phoebe curiosity was peaked even more.  
"How would you know this?"

"I know more than you think about you. And about what you could become. If you chose to be…" Cole added intently.

"What is it?" Phoebe questioned with a little shiver.

"You do want to be with me, don't you?"

"More than anything else..."

"Then I need you to see all that I am. Don't be afraid, you're everything to me."

Cole stood up, transforming into a red giant and Phoebe screamed of fright. But then he talked to her and even in the deep and very different voice, she could feel who he was, still. She calmed down as he was saying, "I want you to know everything about me, and to share everything with me. Then I'll show you how powerful you also can be."

"What are you?"

"I am power, just as you can be," Belthazor said to appease her. Then, knowing that too much all at once could scare her away, he returned to his human form. Not letting her time to think, he took her in his arms and kissed her if possible more passionately than he ever had. All of her doubts again vanished in the torrent of desire that she felt for him and he knew then that he had won.

For the next few weeks, Cole finished initiating her to his world, and convinced Phoebe that her family had rejected her and didn't deserve her. She had long ago stopped longing for home, as the only longing she ever had anymore was to please Cole. Because of this, it wasn't too difficult for him to convince her to betray her sisters in the most terrible way.  
"It's time for you to become what you were meant to be. You'll have to play a role, the role of your life, and then the powers will be all yours."

"How?"

"First you have to do something for me. You've got to prove your devotion to me, and then I'll reveal all to you."

"You know that I'd do anything for you."

Cole said then with a serious expression.  
"Would you kill my enemy for me?"

Phoebe hesitated, unsure that she heard him right.  
"Kill?"

"Yes. They're my enemy, and if you are with me, then they're also yours. They want to destroy us."

"They want to hurt you?" She asked anxiously.

Cole relaxed visibly.  
"Yes, they do."

"But how can I do that?"

"I'll be with you, and you'll do this to save me."

"But how can they hurt you? You're so powerful."

"They are too. And it's a war to the death. You don't want me to die do you?" Cole pressed on.

Phoebe was horrified at the thought.  
"NO!"

"Then will you do it?"

Phoebe whispered, "Yes…"

"It can't be, that can't have happened. Phoebe turned an incredulous stare toward Cole.  
"What kind of a person was she?"

"Contrary to you, she didn't make up with her sisters, and all she had was that other me who was never gonna change."

"But I could never do these things."

"Of course not… You're not her… and I'm not him. Remember, you asked me to tell you these things. I said you wouldn't like it."

"I know but it's just so incredible; so unlikely! So, you thought I could turn when you came to me?"

"Imagine my surprise when I was the one changing for you." Cole said this while caressing her back lovingly.

Phoebe asked, almost afraid of the answer.  
"Did you ever regret?"

"Never! I only feel pity for that very sad version of me. And frankly, I'm not sure I should finish telling you this."

"You started it and now I need to hear it all. Remember what you said about my curiosity?"

"I could think of a much better thing to do with our time," Cole said suggestively.

"No, no, no," Phoebe teased, "story first, fun later."

Cole laughed but soon became more serious as he continued the tale.


	2. The Worst Of Both Worlds (Part 2 )

**Disclaimer: **All the characters from Charmed belong to the Charmed Productions and Spelling. I only lay claim on the character(s) that I created myself… 

**The Worst of Both Worlds **  
**Chapter II**

For the whole week that followed Cole's revelations, he had not left her at all. He didn't dare giving her a chance to think about it and change her mind. He suggested that Phoebe called in sick and possibly even left her work since, as he told her, there soon would be no need for her to work at all.

Phoebe was still very unsettled about what he asked her to do, but at this point she couldn't imagine her life without Cole, and the thought of him dying or being hurt was unbearable. Very soon, she started to imagine herself killing someone, and if at first, the thought brought a shiver to her, in the end she convinced herself that his enemy were hers and deserved to die.

Cole saw the change in her and that night he knew that it was then or never.   
"I have found one of our enemies," he said.

"Where?"

"Come with me… it's time for you to prove yourself to me."

"I'm scared."

"Don't be; I'll be with you."

"Show me," Phoebe whispered hesitantly.

Cole went to her wrapped his arms around her while kissing her, and then they shimmered out.

Phoebe was almost dizzy when they reappeared in front of a cozy little house in the country.  
"What was that?"

Cole smiled.  
"Just a taste of things to come..."

Phoebe smiled back without a word. Cole took her hand, and directed her to a window where she could see a woman reading from a book that looked ancient.

She turned to Cole askance and he guessed at her silent question.  
"Don't be fooled, she's one of those who want to destroy me. She's much more dangerous than she appears. You do believe me, don't you?" Cole added intently. 

"I do…" Phoebe responded as firmly as she could under the circumstances. She was shaken but determined.

"Then listen to me. I'll tell you what you've got to do," he said as he handed to her a mean looking knife she didn't notice him having before.

She took the weapon reluctantly, and after a moment, she turned to him, waiting.

Inside the house, the woman was unaware of what was coming to her. She was checking up on demons which could have been responsible for the deaths of at least eight witches in the city. She was convinced that a powerful demon was at work, but had no idea on which he might be.

A noise distracted her from her reading and she became tense.

Then she saw Belthazor materialize in front of her, poised to attack. She didn't hesitate and tked him away, as it was her most powerful power. However she heard a muffled cry behind her and realized too late that someone else was in the house. She knew it was over before she felt the knife entering her back. Before crumbling to the floor, she caught a glimpse of a young woman, who was looking at her with very frightened eyes. Phoebe thought for a moment that the woman would ask her why, but she died before she could utter a word. Phoebe was paralyzed at first, looking at the lifeless eyes of the woman that she just killed. She was shaking uncontrollably, and only Cole's sudden embrace made her feel better.

"You did well; you saw what she did. And look at the book; she was looking for a way to kill my kind. Our kind now," Cole added persuasively.

"I know."

Cole insisted again.  
"You don't regret saving me do you?"

"No! I never wanna lose you."

Cole smiled at her with a mix of cruelty and tenderness that made her feel warm again. Then she realized that the woman didn't matter, nothing mattered beside him, and she smiled in kind, feeling the change in her complete.

They left the house without another look at the dead witch.

Back at his apartment, where they were now both living, they celebrated by making love almost frantically. Phoebe had now put almost all of her doubts behind her and was thinking of what she had done with a curious sensation of pride and glee. 

Later he finally got to the part he knew would be the most difficult for her, but he was now confident that she was all his.  
"Are you ready for the most important part?"

"For my powers," she asked expectantly.

Cole smiled.  
"Yes, your powers. Our powers!"

"Tell me. Tell me how, and I'll do it."

"You'll have to return home."

Phoebe was not so sure she liked the sound of that.  
"Why should I?"

"You'll need to be with your sisters to receive your powers, and they're gonna have to believe that you sincerely want to stay with them. And I won't be with you..."

Phoebe was alarmed.  
"Why?"

"Until you do get those powers, we can't risk their discovering what I am. They might deny you what is rightfully yours again."

"I will get it back."

"That's my girl. But I am worried of what they might tell you to keep you away from me. Don't listen to them." 

"Nothing is gonna keep me from coming back to you."

Cole smiled triumphantly and kissed her passionately.

A few days later, Phoebe arrived at the family house she left more than a year before, in very bad terms with her sisters. She hesitated to go in; unsure of their welcome… However, after a moment, she resolutely went and rang the doorbell. 

Piper was fortunately the one answering and Phoebe smiled sheepishly at her.  
"Hello, long time no see."

Piper's jaw dropped.  
"Oh my God! I thought you'd never come back. I tried calling you many times a few months ago, but I never managed to get through to you." 

Phoebe didn't tell her that she had simply ignored her calls. Instead she replied, "Sorry I've been very busy. But now I'm back, if you'll have me…"

Piper seemed to hesitate, looking behind her, and then she said, "Of course, just come in. Prue's there but she's in the kitchen. Let me give her the news first, ok?"

Phoebe was a bit troubled by her attitude but she agreed. She climbed to her old bedroom, while Piper went to the kitchen.

When Phoebe entered the room, she felt so out of place that she wondered how she could ever have felt at home here. However, she was determined to play the role to the end with her sisters, hoping that it wouldn't take too long for her to figure out the power thing.

She put her bags on the bed and prepared to wait for her sister's return.  
"Prue I've got a surprise for you."

Prue turned to her askance.  
"Well, what is it?"

Piper hesitated some more.  
"Ok… you've got to promise that you'll try for me."

Prue became suspicious.  
"What is it?" She asked in a harsher voice.

Piper tried to smile but it felt wrong.  
"Phoebe just came home," she blurted out.

Prue didn't react at first. However, her severe expression was enough to tell Piper that it wouldn't be a picnic. At last Prue said, "So, the little brat has finally decided to crawl back." 

Piper got upset at her tone of voice.  
"Come on Prue, she's your sister too and you know by now that Roger was lying, don't you?"

"That still doesn't excuse her disappearing for almost six months. She didn't even call to say that she was coming, did she?"

Piper bit her lower lips but still said, "No. But maybe she was just afraid of your reaction."

"Go figure why."

"Please Prue, give her a chance. She seemed almost lost when I saw her at the door." 

Prue rudely added, "What did she do now that she needs us to fix?"

"She didn't say anything of the sort. And you're being stubborn."

Prue tried to calm down for her sister's sake.  
"Ok, I'll make an effort."

"Thank you."

Piper came to get Phoebe and now they were all looking at each other awkwardly in the living room. Phoebe started, "Prue I…"

"That's ok… we'll just try to start new, what do you say?"

"Thank you," Phoebe whispered.

Prue went to her, and they reluctantly hugged. Both of them obviously had serious reservations, but Prue didn't guess at Phoebe's motivations.

All that evening and the next few days, Phoebe managed to give them the change. So much so that even Prue began to warm up to her. Then one night, Phoebe finally figured out what Cole had meant about the sign that would come in time.

She was just looking around; still searching discreetly for whatever it was that would give her powers back, when she noticed a spirit board that she had not seen before. She went to ask Piper about it.  
"Hey Piper, where did that come from?" Phoebe said, holding the object in front of her sister.

"Oh that… I found it tucked in one of mom's trunks. I thought it looked good and cleaned it today."

"Neat thing," Phoebe said pensively. Then she put it down on the table and was astounded when she thought that she saw the large needle moving. She looked closer, and the needle moved again to the next letter. She cast a guarded look toward Piper, but this one didn't seem to have noticed anything. After a few seconds, she saw that the letters formed the word Attic. She was truly puzzled by this, as the attic has been condemned for as long as she could remember, but she still felt the impulse to go have a look.  
"Ok then, I'll put it back." Phoebe told her sister.

Piper answered distractedly, "Yes why don't you do that?"

Phoebe made sure that Piper didn't follow her, and after she put the spirit board back in its place, she climbed the stairs slowly. When she got to the attic door, she tried it but, as usual, the door was locked as it has always been. Dejected, she was already turning back when suddenly the door opened on its own. Thanks to Cole's teaching, magic didn't scare Phoebe anymore, but she still entered the place cautiously. He'd told her many times that the house was protected against evil. But he had also assured Phoebe that, as long as she had not received her powers, and demonstrated her evilness, she wouldn't be affected. Until now, his assurances had held true but at this point she wondered if it wouldn't change. In the room that she never knew existed, a wealth of strange paraphernalia was stored haphazardly, and it made Phoebe wonder about her grand-mother. Gram was always so strict and proper, yet in the end, she had really been one of those witches that wanted to kill Cole and his kind. Then Phoebe corrected herself, "our kind."

After a moment where nothing bad happened, she emboldened herself and sneaked around, searching for the sign Cole told her about. Then she spotted an old trunk in a corner and felt pulled toward it. She became impatient and opened the trunk. In it, more of the strange items were stored but what attracted her attention was a book very similar to the one she saw at the witch's house. Only the cover marking was different. On it she saw a circle with 3 elliptical forms touching it. She opened the first page to find an incantation, and right then she knew that she had found what she was looking for.

Still Phoebe wondered if the book would know about her after she recited it. Cole's voice echoes in her mind.  
"Have no worry; nothing bad will come to you. I would never risk you getting hurt Phoebe. You know that don't you?"

This memory reaffirmed her courage and she slowly recited the chant. As soon as she had said the last word, something strange happened. A flash of light made her look back at the cover and she saw that the elliptical forms had come together in the middle of the circle. She immediately put down the book, still fearful. But nothing else happened. 

"What? How come the book didn't know that she was evil?"

Cole calmly answered after she interrupted him.  
"The book didn't know this yet. Human evil is not what the book rejects, only the magical one. And at that moment this Phoebe had just received her powers and not committed any evil deed yet. If nothing else, that very different Cole," he insisted with a certain amusement, "was at least as clever as I am."

Phoebe frowned playfully at him now, and he gave her a sly smile.

"You better never use that cleverness in this awful manner," Phoebe joked but Cole took it the wrong way.

"You see, I knew I shouldn't have told you that story. You're starting to doubt me again."

"No! I have no doubts about you," she said, coming closer to him. "But I might have an idea for you to stop doubting yourself."

Cole frowned, uncomprehending.  
"What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, Phoebe stood up and picked up her bathrobe, handing him his.  
"Come on, I'll prove to both of us once and for all that you're good now."

Although he was puzzled about her idea, another thought came to him.  
"You don't want us to go out there now, do you?"

"Why?"

"I don't really feel like explaining to your sisters why we left them hanging at the cemetery earlier. I get the feeling that we're in for quite a talk tomorrow, and I really would like it to keep it for then."

Phoebe smiled mockingly.  
"Come on, they're asleep by now, I assure you. As angry as they might've been, they wouldn't have stayed up all night just to have it out with us. They'll wait until the morning, I'm sure."

Unconvinced and still puzzled about what she meant earlier, Cole reluctantly got out of bed and followed her. However, instead of going downstairs, Phoebe started up toward the attic and Cole stopped short.  
"Phoebe what is it exactly that you want to do?" He questioned suspiciously.

Phoebe turned to him with the same teasing smile as before.  
"Come on chicken, follow me."

Cole still hesitated, but she had gotten him in his pride and he followed her up, although he now was pretty sure that he knew what her intentions were, and it made him very nervous. Before they entered, he stopped again.  
"Why don't we keep this for later? I thought you wanted to know the rest of the story…"

"And I will… but first thing's first."

Cole sighed, but didn't have any more arguments.

Once inside the attic, Phoebe resolutely went to the book, which confirmed Cole's suspicion about her intentions. He just stood by the door, and she beckoned him closer.

"What if it doesn't let me touch it still?"

"You never even tried."

"But what if…"

"Stop that, come on, I know it'll let you."

Cole started toward the book as if it was a snake ready to bite him. The memories of his previous attempts at touching it were still very clear in his mind. Phoebe, seeing him hesitating again, came to him and took his hand to it.

Cole was sweating now. He didn't really fear the pain but he was afraid that a rejection by the book would make Phoebe doubt him again, and this he feared that he couldn't take.

Still, Cole couldn't help wanting to know as well. He had been wondering for a while about this, and he figured that now was as good a time as ever. So he finally went to it and resolutely put his hand on the cover. Then, he smiled widely when nothing happened.  
"What do you know," he said, immensely relieved. 

Phoebe smiled gently.  
"I had no doubts, but I knew that you did."

"Thank you. It's true."

Phoebe pulled him toward one of the easy chair impatiently saying, "Ok, now that this is out of the way, I want the rest of it."

Cole smiled at her juvenile impatience, and went to sit with her in his lap. Then he continued the story…


	3. The Worst Of Both Worlds (Part 3 )

**Disclaimer: **All the characters from Charmed belong to the Charmed Productions and Spelling. I only lay claim on the character(s) that I created myself… 

**The Worst of Both Worlds   
Chapter III**

The next morning Phoebe took to observing her sisters closely for a sign that the incantation had the effect Cole predicted, but nothing happened. That day she decided that she had to get out of the house. She decided to take the risk and to find Cole. He told her that he'd be waiting for her at the cemetery, but would watch over her in the meantime. Still, Phoebe had not seen him at all and was now worried about him and just a little afraid that he had abandoned her.

Therefore, it was with relief that she found him waiting and smiling. She'd also wondered if Cole would be angry with her for coming too soon but she couldn't help it. She needed his advice.

Cole came to her and kissed her long and hard, letting her feel how much he had missed her, and all of her worries seemed out of place.  
"Did you find it?" Cole finally asked.

"I think so, but nothing happened… except the book changed…"

"You saw the book?"

"Yes, I had it in my hands only a few hours ago. But what about the powers…? Why don't I have it yet?"

"Be patient… soon. We mustn't do anything that will alert the Elders until then. You must return now."

"Oh, why? I can't stand to be away from you…"

"Neither can I but it's not going to be for long; and soon your sisters will be with us as well."

"What? Why? You told me they were the enemy."

Cole became impatient.  
"For your powers to become all they can be, we need both of them. But don't worry. You will find that they won't be our enemies for long. When they come to us, it will be of their own free will, and then the fun will really start."

Cole smiled almost gently, telling her to leave and repeating not to worry.

Phoebe was unsure, but she didn't want to do anything that would displease him and she agreed to give it some time. On the way home, something finally happened. She was standing on a corner and she accidentally brushed with someone about to cross the road. A vision immediately came to her about this person being hit by a car. More by reflex than because she really cared Phoebe went after the man from the vision. She then pulled him out of the car's path. 

The man turned to her, at first upset at her gesture, and Phoebe almost had the impulse to push him back in front of another incoming car. Then, the man realized what had happened and thanked her profusely, embarrassing her. 

At this moment, she came very close to make a different choice and she thought about it very hard while getting back on her way. 

Later that night, her sisters reported strange events that had happened to them as well. Prue witnessed the most incredible thing. In a store earlier, as she was upset at a clerk for his incompetence, she was interrupted by something extraordinary. All of the items in an alley behind her had flown off the shelves on their own. Then, Piper revealed something even stranger when she said that during her chef's exam, she had frozen the examiner simply by lifting her hands in front of him. Both of them turned to their sister askance, and Phoebe told her of her own experience, careful though not to reveal her inner thoughts on the subject. She then told them of the book in the attic, and they finally came to the conclusion that they had been changed irrevocably, even though they had trouble adjusting to the idea.

Piper still went on her date, but something even scarier happened then. They were about to enter an elevator when a red giant came behind them and threw a fireball at her date, killing him instantly. 

Then the giant vanished. Piper ran home to tell her sisters. Phoebe hid her feelings the best she could and tried to sound as upset as Prue about this, but after a while she needed to leave them, unable to play the role anymore. That night, Cole came to her and this time he took her away. 

When they were back at the cemetery, he told her that it was time for him to reveal his plans to her. Phoebe was still debating the events of the afternoon though, and when she told him how she felt, he became very upset.  
"What did these women tell you? Did they turn you against me?"

Phoebe worried about his bad response.  
"No, of course not! They could never do that."

Cole was still staring at her with a hard expression, and for some reason it excited her, but she still asked. "Why did you kill that man?"

Cole was still upset but he answered nevertheless.  
"He was gonna kill her and where would we be?"

Phoebe, looked at him with questioning eyes.  
"I don't understand."

Cole, suddenly became aware of her more than ever, breathing in her scent and he said in a whisper, "You will, tonight you will." Then he took her right then and there.

That night, they got married. An evil marriage that completed the change in her forever, but it also did something to her sisters. The next morning, when she went back to the house with Cole, she found her sisters very receptive to her.  
"Hey Prue, how are you feeling today," Phoebe asked with a hard smile.

Prue answered in kind.  
"Better than ever… But who's your handsome friend here?"

"Yeah, who're you?"

"I'm the one who's gonna make you the masters of this world…"

"That's a tall order of business, and I must admit a tempting one, but how are we supposed to do this?"

"You don't know it yet but you and your sisters are very powerful and if you let me teach you, no one will be able to stop us. Ever…"

Prue approached him.  
"And what are you, might I ask, to aspire at teaching us?"

Cole transformed into his demon self, causing them to take a step back.  
"Belthazor is my name and you better remember it if you know what's good for you."

"Well, if you know so much about us, why don't you start teaching right now? I'm impatient to begin."

Phoebe smiled, since for the first time in years, they were all of the same mind, and she no longer wondered about the why.

The newly made warlocks and the demon started an evil rampage across the world from that day on. No witches or good people could survive their attacks; not even other demons, which Cole had now convinced the girls were not necessarily their allies. But for all of this, his master plan had not been completed yet. Only Cole and Phoebe knew of what he really wanted to do. He waited patiently, biding his time until the sisters were in full possession of their powers. Then one day when he knew that they were ready, he brought them to the source…

The source himself had been aware of an evil force that had risen in the world above, but for some reason he couldn't figure out who they were. He had not known at the time that the charmed ones were born. Cole had a stroke of luck with that one. One day that he was bored, he decided to research ancient prophecies and myths. He stumbled on the saying of an ancient witch that had been burned at the stake. She had proclaimed with her dying breath that one day, a trio of witches of her own descendants would come to the world and fight for good with powers such, as had never been known in this world. At first, he had thought that those were the words of a desperate witch. However, he learned from older demons that she had herself been very powerful and had the gift of vision… That is why he studied her lineage and realized that the witches who had been predicted might already be born. As the clever one that he was, he started forming the plan in his mind after finding one of them in New York. He was an ambitious demon, but a careful one. He knew the virtue of patience and his wait was about to pay off.

Cole stopped as Phoebe moved to take a new position and a lock of her hair brushed against his face.

"Why did you stop?"

Cole started caressing her hair and face softly.  
"I don't know, lost track all of a sudden. I was thinking of something more interesting."

"That wasn't your mind thinking…"

Cole smiled slyly.  
"No matter, can't we finish this later," he said starting to caress her more purposefully.

At that point she was very tempted, but curiosity won.  
"No no, no!" she said with faked irritation. "I want the story, then fun."

"You're so cruel," Cole said pulling his lips away from her neck with a great effort, making her giggle. But he still went on…

Cole surprised the source when he shimmered in his chamber: a dark and forbidding cave. The Source immediately noticed him and beckoned to him angrily.  
"How dare you enter this place without my permission, Belthazor?"

The demon smiled as much as his demon face could allow.  
"I've come to you bearing gift my Liege."

The Source was still not satisfied and continued in a threatening voice.  
"You know the punishment for you impudence." 

However, instead of retreating at the implied threat, Cole signaled to someone just out of the chamber and the girls entered boldly.

He himself shimmered and found himself behind the all powerful Source in an instant.

The girls approached purposefully, to the mounting anger of the Lord of the place. But then, Cole caught him from behind and told him, "Here's my gift and my victory. Behold the prophesized Charmed Ones and meet your end."

The girls took it for the signal. Suddenly, they held each other's hands and began to glow of an orange light that intensified for every second. When he thought that they were ready, Cole released the Source and shimmered away, letting them hit the Source with the full blow of their evil powers. The Master was too stunned to react and the energy ball, one more powerful than he had ever seen, hit him fully. After a few moments, screaming in rage, he exploded and vanished.

The girls were congratulating each other on a job well done, but Cole came to them with a triumphant smile and told them, "Now as I promised, we are the masters of this world." 

Cole had always thought that when they had created him, he had received an inordinate dose of smarts. And now he knew it for sure…

Phoebe just looked at Cole incredulously.  
"I think that you're embellishing."

Cole chuckled.  
"If you had let me finish, you wouldn't think that anymore."

"Right…"

"No really!"

"Alright, finish it then."

"As I was saying…"

Or so he thought… Cole's ambition was going to be his downfall. 

After taking over the underworld, Cole truly thought that he was the master there and for a while, he was. Nevertheless, the old evil didn't see it that way. They had never wanted a half-demon as master of the underworld and they came after them. Eventually for their own survival, they had to flee, not only the underworld, but also this particular world where they had come from. They have been on the run ever since. Some say that they were vanquished in an alternate world, but no one knows for sure."

"You mean that they could come here?"

"You destroyed evil Charmed Ones before, don't worry. Still, I don't think that he'd take the chance and neither would they."

"You know, your counterpart was mistaken too…"  
"Nobody is perfect," he said with a little grin.

Phoebe looked at him, wondering.  
"Did you ever…"

"Thought about doing that? No, I was never that ambitious. Even my evil self saw more value in freedom than ultimate power."

"Then, I think you were still the smartest …"

"I like to think so. But you know what? I think that whatever powers he may have had because of his machinations, he never was and never will be as happy as I am."

Phoebe smiled happily at this.  
Cole then added, "Ok now, can we go back to bed?"

This time, Phoebe didn't argue…

Outside the Manor, a couple with dark clothing just shimmered in. They were observing the manor and the woman seemed to think for a moment, then she almost walked toward the house, but her companion put a restraining hand on her arm.  
"Not here," said Cole's voice.

"Why? I thought that it'd be such a good distraction to kill us some witches."

"Not those… I've got a bad feeling about this place."

Phoebe turned to him, a bit put off.  
"You truly have lost your nerve."

Cole grabbed her arm rudely and then he growled, "Don't you dare!"

Phoebe smiled, utterly unconcerned.  
"And what are you gonna do? Defeated has definitely become your middle name."

Cole almost hit her, but stopped himself. He had created a monster, but one that he couldn't live without. Therefore, instead he tried reasoning with her.  
"You lost your sisters by not listening to me."

Phoebe was not very affected by this, but she still said, "Why bother? There are other places. Let's go."

They thankfully disappeared.


End file.
